Misunderstood

Chapter 7

We arrived at my house quite late. I almost spoke to my mother earlier until I realised I was in someone else's body.

We had a spare room across the hall from my room which was where I slept. I didn't know whether Sakura was resting peacefully at that moment, but I certainly couldn't.

My body failed to find a comfortable position in bed and my mind failed to find a comfortable thought to sleep on. I decided that sleep wasn't coming to me that night.

I went downstairs and opened the back door. I felt the cold air cover my skin like a blanket of ice. I lay on the grass and stared up at the stars.

I could see the Big Dipper but I wasn't good with constellations, so I didn't really know any other patterns. The stars were pretty. They reminded me of Sakura.

I was shivering but calm at the same time. There was something so peaceful about night. I felt so alive at this time.

I was so mesmerised by the stars which was why I jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice from behind me. "Oh hey!"

It was Sakura. "What are you doing up?" I asked. "Couldn't sleep. You too?"
"Yeah. With all that's going on I can't really focus on sleeping."

"Yeah me too. But I think there's another reason I'm being kept awake." She started to approach me, walking out into fresh air.

"I think it's time I told you" she sighed. I had no idea what she meant but I already had a feeling she was hiding something.

"What do you mean?"
"Let me explain. And please don't freak out but, this isn't the first time this has happened." I froze both from shock and the sudden gush of wind that hit me.

"When I was little, this very same thing happened to me. The person I switched with was... my mom. At the time, we had no idea what was happening so we split up and got into many fights. She died that very day. Nobody knew why or how."

Fear overcame me as she said this but I stayed frozen. "I-I'm so sorry for your loss" I managed. "It's ok. It's not your fault but mine. And I'd never forgive myself if the same happened to you."

"Woah! What happened was not your fault!" I said, almost confidently. However my head was facing the ground to hide my flushed face. From what she said, it sounded as if she really cared about me.

When I finally found the courage to look up, I saw tears in her eyes. Suddenly, something overcame me, and I did something I never thought I would. I pulled her in for a hug.

She relaxed into my embrace and started sobbing into my shoulder. I felt myself blushing even harder. I had never hugged someone like her before.

She smelt of strawberries. Her hair- well, technically my hair, fell across her head and sagged over my shoulder. It actually looked shiny and smooth and I felt a great temptation to stroke it. I discretely twirled the ends around my fingers and she didn't seem to mind.

Normally my hair would be messy and greasy but she seemed to know how to take care of it a lot better than I did. That was what made me realise that I hadn't showered that day.

"Shit!" I accidentally said out loud. She tilted her head back up to look at me in confusion. "Sorry, it's just, I realised that I- um haven't showered today" I said sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck.

Suddenly her sobs sounded different. I looked at her once again and saw that she was laughing. I soon joined in, realising that I had managed to make someone laugh.

I wondered what my past self would say if she saw me now. I was confused with my feelings. I was terrified, but at the same time, I felt fearless and couldn't care less about what would happen to me.

I could die at any moment, but for some reason, I didn't give a fuck. Our giggles began to subside but a smile stayed planted on her face as she gazed up at the stars.

We stayed silent for a while and I couldn't tell if it was awkward or peaceful. I was about to tap her on the shoulder to let her know I was going back inside but her eyes were fully closed and her whole body was limp.

She was asleep. Great. I explored my brain for the best option. I didn't want to wake her. She looked like she needed rest and if I woke her, she might not have been able to get back to sleep.

Without thinking too much of it, I placed my hands underneath her and carried her back upstairs. I gently lay her in my bed and tucked her under the covers.

I too, being exhausted, fell asleep soon in an unfamiliar bed, considering I had only slept in the guest room once or twice.

I felt so relaxed, despite having heard the news I was unprepared for about half an hour ago. Fresh air always gave me a clear mind and a fresh smile. Tomorrow, I would have to face reality again. But right then, I felt more alive than I had in years.